There is a known tilt switch, in which the movable contact element, upon tilting of the switch housing beyond a predetermined angle, moves from a stable first position into another position in which it bridges two fixed contact elements. However, this known tilt switch has the defect that, when the tilt angle increases only slowly, the movable contact element is applied to the fixed contact elements with minimal contact force, so that reliable and continuously electrical contact cannot be assured. Such reliable contact is highly desirable in tilt switches for applications such as a "dead-man switch" used for a mobile radio transceiver carried in the hand or on one's person. In this application, it is necessary to consistently achieve a reliable electrical contact and, connected therewith, reliable generation of an alarm signal.